The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-10
Thomas Jefferson's Ingenuity.

| Frank Stockton ilI September Century
Il think it is not generally known with
nat pleasure and zeal Jefferson brought
Is mind to bear. not only upon the devel-
pment of his somewhat grand ideas in
Eegard to home, but upon the most minute
and peculiar contrivances for convenience
and adornment. He drew plans and made
estimates for nearly everything that was
built or constructed on his place He cal
culated the number of bricks to be used in
every part of his buildings; and his family
now possess deliberately drawn plans of such
bits of household furnishing as curtain
valences' and the like. Many of his ideas in
regard to building and furnishing he brought
with him from France; but more of
them had their origin in his brain
There were no bedsteads in his house,
but in every chamber there was an alcove
in the wall in which a wooden framework
was built which supported the bed His
own sleeping arrangements during the life
time of his wife were of a very peculiar
nature; in the partition between two cham
bers was an archway, and in this archway
was the double bed; one chamber was Mr.
Jefferson's room and the other was his
wife's dressing-room; when he arose in the
morning he got out of bed into his own
room, and Mrs. jefferson got out into her
room. After his wifes death her room be-
came his study, and the partition wall be-
tween it and the library being taken down,
the whole was thrown into the present large
apartment. Over the archway in which
the bed is placed is long closet reached by
a step-ladder placed in another closet at the
foot of the bed. In this were stored in sum
mer the winter clothes of the family, and in
winter their summer habiliments. At the
other side of the arch there is a small door,
so that persons going from one room to the
other had no need to Chamber over the bed.
'In the smaller chamber, when it became
his study, stood Mr.. Jeffersons writing
chair, which was made to suit his peculiar
needs; the chair itself was high-backed,
well-rounded and cushioned, and IN front of
it extended cushioned platform, on which
Mr.. jefferson found it very pleasant to
stretch his legs, being sometimes troubled
with swellings of the smaller veins of these
limbs The writing table was so made that
it could be drawn up over this platform,
legs and all, and pushed down when it was
not in use The top of this table turned on
a pivot; on one side of it were his writing
materials, and on the other was the little
apparatus by which he made copies of all
his letters BY his side was another revolv-
ing table, on which his books of reference
Law, or were held open at proper angles.
Near him also stood pair of large globes;
and, if he wished to study anything outside
VI DulS WOTlu, IS III bl6 IOOIll UWO IOIlH
telescopes mounted on brass tripods. Con.
venient also We're his violinS, one Cremona,
and the other the bass-viol saved from the
Shadwell fire. Besides the bookshelves and
the somewhat simple furniture of the
library, there were a number of oddly CON
trived little closets, in which were stored his
multitudinorls manuscripts. There is a
writing table now in the possession of the
family, which was frequently used by Mr.
jefferson, and which is very ingeniously
contrived Two of its four legs are hollow,
and in these run rods resting upon springs
by which the table can be easily elevated,
the other two legs being also extensible, but
in different way When Mr. jefferson
was tired of writing in a sitting position, he
could stand up and raise this table to the
desired height. When he wished to use it
as a reading stand, the top could be inclined
at any angle, and a strip of brass was
brought into use to keep the books and pa
pers from sliding off.
Opening from the library was a large
room inclosed with glass, which was in
tended for a conservatory, but was used by
Mr.. jefferson as his work-room. There he
had a workbench, with all sorts of carpen-
ter's tools, with which he constructed a
great many of the small conveniences he
invented